Smart control module for ductless HVAC units

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for intelligent operation and control of primitive infrared (IR) controlled devices and appliances that requires little or no modification of existing devices and appliances or their controllers. Systems and methods for converting conventional infrared (IR) remote controls of primitive infrared (IR) controlled devices and appliances to networked and smart remote controls are described which enable the upgraded smart remote control to act as a smart controller for ductless HVAC appliances, flat-screen televisions, media players such as DVD and Blu-ray disc players, and other primitive infrared (IR) controlled devices. The technology presented enables one or multiple users to control, monitor, and manage their primitive infrared (IR) controlled devices and appliances smartly using a custom smartphone application linked to the upgraded smart thermostat remote.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

BACKGROUND Field of the Art

The disclosure relates to the field of computer control systems, andmore particularly to the field of wireless control of ductless HVACsystems.

Discussion of the State of the Art

Consumers in today's world often have multiple household devices andappliances that are controlled via primitive infrared (IR) remotecontrollers. Three common examples of such devices include ductlessheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) appliances (mini splitunits, window units, and portable units), flat-screen televisions, andmedia players such as digital video disc (DVD) and Blu-ray players.These devices are typically installed or used at multiple locations inhomes and offices, but are individually controlled by a conventionalinfrared (IR) remote control provided with each unit by themanufacturer. The IR remote controls relay user commands to theappliances for appropriate actions. The existing IR remote controls forthese devices are very primitive, allowing only for immediate setting ofsimple controls such as, in the case of HVAC appliances, temperature,fan speed, heat/cool, etc. They are not capable of executing morecomplicated functions such as scheduled usage, smart triggers andthermostats, setting of temperature ranges, intelligent/predictiveoperation to optimize energy efficient usage, guiding the users aboutusage history of their air conditioners for energy efficient lifestyles,or similar smart functions.

Further, they have no means for coordinating with other units.Flat-screen televisions and media players cannot, for example, beinstructed to display the same movie on all devices throughout the home.In the case of HVAC appliances, unlike ducted HVAC systems which heatand/or cool multiple rooms and for which heating and cooling zones canbe established and controlled from a central location, ductless HVACsystems are installed in a single room and provide heating or cooling tothat room only. When multiple ductless HVAC system are installed indifferent rooms, the user must manually change the settings for eachunit in each room separately using the primitive controls of each unit'sIR controller. No centralized coordination or control of multipleIR-controlled devices is available.

What is needed is a system and method for intelligent operation andcontrol of primitive IR-controlled devices and appliances, andpreferably a system and method which requires little or no modificationof existing devices and appliances or their controllers.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, the inventor has conceived and reduced to practice, systemsand methods for intelligent operation and control of primitiveIR-controlled devices and appliances that requires little or nomodification of existing devices and appliances or their controllers,but allows for intelligent operation any number of these devices eitherdirectly or remotely through a computing device. Systems and methods forconverting conventional infrared (IR) remote controls of primitiveIR-controlled devices and appliances to networked and smart remotecontrols are described which enable the upgraded smart remote control toact as a smart controller for ductless heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) appliances (mini split units, window units, andportable units), flat-screen televisions, media players such as digitalvideo disc (DVD) and Blu-ray players, and other primitive IR-controlleddevices. The technology presented enables one or multiple users tocontrol, monitor, and manage their primitive IR-controlled devices andappliances smartly using a custom smartphone application linked to theupgraded smart thermostat remote.

According to a preferred embodiment, a smart control module foroperation and control of infrared-controllable devices is disclosed, thesmart control module comprising a memory, a processor, an input port, awireless communication device, a power source, and a first plurality ofprogramming instructions stored in the memory which, when operating onthe processor, causes the smart control module to: receive, at the inputport, a control signal related to operation of a standard infraredremote controller for infrared-controllable devices; determine a firstcontrol setting associated with the control signal, the first controlsetting being associated with an infrared-controllable device operableby the standard infrared remote controller; establish a wirelessconnection to a wireless-capable device; and transmit operationalinformation to the wireless-capable device using the wirelesscommunication device, the operational information comprising the controlsetting and an smart control module identifier.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the wireless-capable device isa mobile device operating an application configured to manage theoperation of one or more infrared-controllable devices.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the application operating onthe mobile device wherein the application comprises a second pluralityof programming instructions which, when operating on the mobile device,causes the mobile device to: receive the operational information;retrieve a list of infrared-controllable devices associated with smartcontrol modules; identify an infrared-controllable device associatedwith the smart control module identifier; and update a status of theinfrared-controllable device with the first control setting; and displaythe status of the infrared-controllable device on a screen of the mobiledevice.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the application is furtherconfigured to: receive an input from a user of the mobile device, theinput comprising a second control setting for the infrared-controllabledevice; and transmit the second control setting to the wirelesscommunication device of the smart control module.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the smart control module isintegrated into the standard infrared remote controller; the powersource is a battery within the standard infrared remote controller; theinput port is connected to a first electronic component of the standardinfrared remote controller such that the signal received at the inputport is associated with the operation of a button on the standardinfrared remote controller, smart control module further comprises anoutput port connected to a second electronic component of the standardinfrared remote controller; and the smart control module is furtherconfigured to: receive the second control setting; send a change signalbased on the second control setting via an output port to a secondelectronic component of the standard infrared remote controller, thechange signal comprising instructions to change a setting of theinfrared-controllable device in accordance with the second controlsetting.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, smart control module furthercomprises a temperature or humidity sensor, wherein: the second controlsetting comprises a temperature, range of temperatures, humidity, orrange of humidities; and the smart control module is further configuredto periodically send additional change signals to maintain thetemperature or humidity sensor at or within the second control setting.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the second control settingcomprises schedule information, and wherein the smart control module isfurther configured to periodically send additional change signalsaccording to the schedule information.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the smart control modulefurther comprises an exterior case, a means of attachment for attachingthe case to the standard infrared remote controller, an infraredreceiver, an output port, and a second infrared emitter; the smartcontrol module is further configured be attached over a first infraredemitter of the infrared remote controller via the attachment means ofthe exterior case; the power source is a battery within the exteriorcase; the smart control module is configured to receive infrared signalsfrom the first infrared emitter at the input port via the infraredreceiver and output a copy of the signal from the second infraredemitter via the output port; and the smart control module is furtherconfigured to: receive the second control setting send a change signalbased on the second control setting via the output port to the infraredemitter, the change signal comprising instructions to change a settingof the infrared-controllable device in accordance with the secondcontrol setting.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the smart control modulefurther comprising a temperature or humidity sensor, wherein: the secondcontrol setting comprises a temperature, range of temperatures,humidity, or range of humidities; and the smart control module isfurther configured to periodically send additional change signals tomaintain the temperature or humidity sensor at or within the secondcontrol setting.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the second control settingcomprises schedule information, and wherein the smart control module isfurther configured to periodically send additional change signalsaccording to the schedule information.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the wireless-capable device isa wireless router, and the smart control module is configured tooperable via the Internet through a cloud-based server accessible via aweb browser.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the infrared-controllabledevice is a ductless HVAC appliance, and the change signal comprisesinfrared control codes for the ductless HVAC appliance.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, the smart control module isconfigured to receive the infrared control codes from an applicationoperating on a mobile device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings illustrate several aspects and, together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the inventionaccording to the aspects. It will be appreciated by one skilled in theart that the particular arrangements illustrated in the drawings aremerely exemplary, and are not to be considered as limiting of the scopeof the invention or the claims herein in any way.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware architecture for asmart HVAC control module.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecturefor a smart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an alternate system architecturefor a smart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary application of asmart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary operation of a smartHVAC control system when a conventional IR remote is used to operate anHVAC appliance.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary operation of a smartHVAC control system when an app on a mobile device is used to operate anHVAC appliance.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot of an application for a mobile device showingmanagement of multiple ductless HVAC appliances through smart HVACcontrol modules.

FIG. 8 is a set of screenshots of an application for a mobile deviceshowing scheduling of operation of ductless HVAC appliances throughsmart HVAC control modules.

FIG. 9 is a set of screenshots of an application for a mobile deviceshowing automated management of ductless HVAC appliances through smartHVAC control modules.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardwarearchitecture of a computing device.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary logicalarchitecture for a client device.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an exemplary architecturalarrangement of clients, servers, and external services.

FIG. 13 is another block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardwarearchitecture of a computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventor has conceived, and reduced to practice, systems and methodsfor intelligent operation and control of primitive IR-controlled devicesand appliances that requires little or no modification of existingdevices and appliances or their controllers, but allows for intelligentoperation any number of these devices either directly or remotelythrough a computing device. Systems and methods for convertingconventional infrared (IR) remote controls of primitive IR-controlleddevices and appliances to networked and smart remote controls aredescribed which enable the upgraded smart remote control to act as asmart controller for ductless HVAC appliances (mini split units, windowheating and cooling units, and portable heating and cooling units),flat-screen televisions, media players such as DVD and Blu-ray discplayers, some children's toys, other primitive IR-controlled devices.The technology presented enables one or multiple users to control,monitor, and manage their primitive IR-controlled devices and appliancessmartly using a custom smartphone application linked to the upgradedsmart thermostat remote.

While the examples herein discuss embodiments associated with HVACappliances, the invention is not limited to HVAC appliances, andincludes any device or appliance controlled by a primitive IRcontroller, some common and non-limiting examples of which are ductlessheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) appliances (mini splitunits, window units, and portable units), flat-screen televisions, mediaplayers such as digital video disc (DVD) and Blu-ray players, andchildren's toys.

In various embodiments, the technology includes a smart module that canbe embedded into conventional IR remote controls of ductless HVACappliances to convert the IR remote controls to smart remote controllersconnected via a custom application for smartphone, mobile phone, orother computer, and optionally to a custom cloud platform which canprovide additional functionality and remote operation via the Internet.Using the system, users can control HVAC appliances, generate analytics,schedule automatic operation, and perform smart learning operations.

In one embodiment, a clip-on smart module unit is attached to one ormore primitive IR controllers. The smart module is configured to receiveand pass through any IR controls received from operation of the IRcontroller to its associated HVAC unit, while simultaneouslytransmitting notification of the controls received to a mobile app viaWiFi, Bluetooth, or another wireless communication protocol. The smartmodule is also configured to receive controls wirelessly from the mobileapp, convert those controls into IR signals, and transmit those IRsignals to a particular HVAC unit as if the IR controller for that HVACunit had itself generated them. In this way, a plurality of ductlessHVAC systems can be monitored and controlled remotely by a mobile devicethat acts as a centralized, intelligent control system for the HVACunits. In some embodiments, the system and method further comprisingcloud-based functionality, such that a plurality of mobile computingdevices (or other computing devices) can access and control any HVACunit registered to a given account.

In another embodiment, universal IR controllers can be manufacturedcontaining IR signal codes for the ductless HVAC systems of majormanufacturers and/or configurable to be able to “learn” IR codes fromthe IR controller of a given ductless HVAC unit. The universalcontroller is manufactured with a built-in smart module containing thenecessary networking features to interact with an app on a mobilecomputing device. The operation of the universal IR controller isotherwise similar to that of the clip-on smart module described above.

One or more different aspects may be described in the presentapplication. Further, for one or more of the aspects described herein,numerous alternative arrangements may be described; it should beappreciated that these are presented for illustrative purposes only andare not limiting of the aspects contained herein or the claims presentedherein in any way. One or more of the arrangements may be widelyapplicable to numerous aspects, as may be readily apparent from thedisclosure. In general, arrangements are described in sufficient detailto enable those skilled in the art to practice one or more of theaspects, and it should be appreciated that other arrangements may beutilized and that structural, logical, software, electrical and otherchanges may be made without departing from the scope of the particularaspects. Particular features of one or more of the aspects describedherein may be described with reference to one or more particular aspectsor figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which areshown, by way of illustration, specific arrangements of one or more ofthe aspects. It should be appreciated, however, that such features arenot limited to usage in the one or more particular aspects or figureswith reference to which they are described. The present disclosure isneither a literal description of all arrangements of one or more of theaspects nor a listing of features of one or more of the aspects thatmust be present in all arrangements.

Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the titleof this patent application are for convenience only, and are not to betaken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be incontinuous communication with each other, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with eachother may communicate directly or indirectly through one or morecommunication means or intermediaries, logical or physical.

A description of an aspect with several components in communication witheach other does not imply that all such components are required. To thecontrary, a variety of optional components may be described toillustrate a wide variety of possible aspects and in order to more fullyillustrate one or more aspects. Similarly, although process steps,method steps, algorithms or the like may be described in a sequentialorder, such processes, methods and algorithms may generally beconfigured to work in alternate orders, unless specifically stated tothe contrary. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may bedescribed in this patent application does not, in and of itself,indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. Thesteps of described processes may be performed in any order practical.Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite beingdescribed or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because onestep is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of aprocess by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that theillustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modificationsthereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its stepsare necessary to one or more of the aspects, and does not imply that theillustrated process is preferred. Also, steps are generally describedonce per aspect, but this does not mean they must occur once, or thatthey may only occur once each time a process, method, or algorithm iscarried out or executed. Some steps may be omitted in some aspects orsome occurrences, or some steps may be executed more than once in agiven aspect or occurrence.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readilyapparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of asingle device or article. Similarly, where more than one device orarticle is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a singledevice or article may be used in place of the more than one device orarticle.

The functionality or the features of a device may be alternativelyembodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly describedas having such functionality or features. Thus, other aspects need notinclude the device itself.

Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein will sometimesbe described in singular form for clarity. However, it should beappreciated that particular aspects may include multiple iterations of atechnique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless notedotherwise. Process descriptions or blocks in figures should beunderstood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code whichinclude one or more executable instructions for implementing specificlogical functions or steps in the process. Alternate implementations areincluded within the scope of various aspects in which, for example,functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed,including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending onthe functionality involved, as would be understood by those havingordinary skill in the art.

Conceptual Architecture

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware architecture for asmart HVAC control module. The smart HVAC control module of thisembodiment is a system constructed on a PCB board comprising a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 110, random access memory (RAM) 120, non-volatilestorage such as a flash storage (based on electrically erasable,programmable memory (EEPROM) technology) 130, a wireless communicationdevice (e.g., supporting Bluetooth, WiFi, or other wirelesscommunication protocols 140, input/output ports 150, and optionallysensors 160 such as infrared light sensors. An actual implementation 100a of a smart HVAC control module 100 is shown in relation to the size ofa U.S. quarter 101. Its small size means that it can easily beintegrated into existing IR remotes for HVAC systems or into anattachable (e.g., clip-on) device that can be attached to existing IRremotes without modification.

Software and other operational programming and functionality can bestored in the non-volatile storage 130, loaded into faster volatilememory such as RAM 120, and run on the CPU 110. Input/output ports 150(which may be “pins” on integrated circuits (ICs) and microcontrollers)provide connections with other devices and/or systems (e.g., in the caseof internal integration of the module 100 into an IR remote, and sensors160 may be used to provide additional functionality. As one example, inthe case of an attachable device, an IR sensor may receive an IR signalfrom the existing IR remote, and one of the output ports may be an IRtransmitter that outputs an IR signal (which may simply be apass-through of the sane IR signal) to the HVAC appliance. In this way,the IR signal from the IR remote can be intercepted, acted upon by themodule, and re-transmitted to the HVAC appliance, such that the HVACappliance operates as though the IR signal had been received directlyfrom the IR remote.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecturefor a smart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances. In thisembodiment, a smart HVAC control module 100 is directly integrated intoan otherwise standard infrared (IR) remote controller 200 for ductlessHVAC systems.

A standard IR remote controller 200 is a handheld device containingbuttons 201 for activating various features of the HVAC appliance, ascreen 202 which displays information about the HVAC appliance such asthe current temperature, whether the device is in heating, cooling, orauto mode, the current fan speed, etc., and an infrared emitter 203,typically in the form of a light emitting diode (LED) capable ofemitting infrared light. The reason infrared is used is that it is notvisible to the human eye, so does not appear to project a beam of lighton the wall or appliance (i.e., it is invisible to the user). Note that,in some models of IR remote controllers, the screen may be atouchscreen, and the buttons may be software buttons on the touchscreen.The term “button” herein refers to both variants. Here, the standard IRremote controller 200 has either been manufactured with, or modified toinclude, a smart module 100, the integrated smart module 100 beingcapable through its I/O ports of 150 either of receiving signals relatedto the operation of the remote controller's 200 buttons 201, or ofreceiving signals from the remote controller 200 directing the operationof the IR emitter 203, for the purposes of transmitting information tothe mobile device 210. Further, the smart module of this embodiment iscapable of directing the operation of the IR remote control 200 usingits I/O ports 150 (e.g., upon receipt of instructions from the mobiledevice 210, the smart module 100 can direct the IR remote control 200 tochange the operation of the HVAC appliance 230 via its IR emitter 203).The smart module of this embodiment is powered by the batteries of thestandard IR remote controller 200.

As the IR remote control 200 is operated, the smart module 100 receivesthe one or more signals about the operation from the IR remote control200 via its I/O ports 150. The smart module 100 transmits signalsdetailing the operation wirelessly 204 (e.g., via Bluetooth) to a mobiledevice 210 running an application configured as a centralized managementapplication for one or more HVAC appliances 230. The wirelesstransmission 204 may any wireless transmission protocol (e.g.,Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.) and may contain information about the operationand/or current state of the controller (e.g., an identifier for thesmart module 100, what button was pushed on the controller 200, what thecurrent temperature and mode settings are, etc.). The HVAC appliances230 can receive signals in one of four ways: directly via the IR (i.e.,primitive IR control), directly via the wireless transmission 204 fromthe smart module 100, via a wireless transmission from the mobiledevice, or via a wireless transmission from a router connected to anetwork 220. In the latter three cases, the HVAC appliances must benetwork-capable (i.e., contain a wireless device and other appropriatehardware, software, and/or firmware to receive wireless signals) fromthe smart module 100, the mobile phone 210, or a router connected to thenetwork 220. However, even if the HVAC appliance(s) are notnetwork-capable, the operation of, and current status of, the HVACappliance(s) 230 is still received and tracked by the mobile device.

The mobile device 210 (which may be any network-connected computingdevice, but is assumed in this embodiment to be a smartphone, laptopcomputer, or tablet computer) acts as a central HVAC management systemfor any number of HVAC devices installed at any number of locations,provided that smart-module-enabled 100 IR remote control 200 isavailable for each HVAC appliance to be managed by the mobile device210. While only one mobile device 210 is shown here, any number ofmobile devices may be configured to operate the smart modules 100. Whilenot shown here, in some configurations, the mobile device(s) may beconnected to the smart modules 100 and/or other mobile device(s) 210 viaa network (which may be a local network such as via a wireless router, awide area network involving multiple routers, the Internet, etc.). Asthe mobile device 210 receives wireless transmissions 204 from each IRremote control 200, the application on the mobile device 100 tracksinformation about the status of the IR remote control and the status ofits associated HVAC appliance 230 including, but not limited to,information such as from which smart module 100 the transmission wasreceived, which HVAC appliance 230 is associated with that smart module100, the current room temperature sensed by the IR remote control 200,the current temperature setting of the IR remote control 200, thecurrent mode (heat, cool, auto, etc.) of the IR remote control 200, andthe current fan speed setting. The application on the mobile device maybe configured to display appropriate information to the user about thestatus of IR remote controls 200 and their associated HVAC appliances230. Further, the application may be used to manage, control, and/orschedule the operation of HVAC appliances 230 via communication with thesmart module 100 of their associated IR remote controls 200. Forexample, a user with HVAC appliances installed upstairs and downstairsin his home may set the downstairs HVAC appliance to maintain thetemperature within a range of 20° C. to 25° C., and the upstairs HVACappliance to maintain the temperature within a range of 23° C. to 27° C.The mobile device 210 will maintain either continuous or periodiccommunication with the smart modules 100 associated with the downstairsand upstairs HVAC appliances, directing each smart module 100 toinstruct the IR remote control 200 into which it is integrated to changethe operation of the HVAC appliance 230 with which the IR remote control200 is associated via its IR emitter 203.

The centralized management of HVAC appliances 230 may be furtherenhanced by connecting mobile devices 210 and network-capable HVACappliances 230 to cloud-based applications and storage 230 via theInternet. This allows remote management of HVAC appliances from anynetwork-enabled computing device anywhere in the world via web browsers,as the management application and storage of information can be locatedon the cloud-based server 230 without having to be downloaded orinstalled on a local computer or mobile device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an alternate system architecturefor a smart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances. In thisembodiment, the smart module 100 is not integrated into the IR remotecontrol 200, but is instead located inside a separate device (shown hereas a clip-on case) 301 that can be attached to an unmodified IR remotecontrol 200. The smart module of this embodiment is powered by thebatteries inside the clip-on case 301.

The attachable separate device 301 is attached by a set of clips 302 orother convenient means of attachment (e.g., a sleeve, compressionfitting, strap, tabs, screws, adhesives, hook-and-loop fastener such asVelcro®, etc.) over the IR emitter 203 of the IR remote control 200. Inthis way, an IR sensor on the smart module 100 can receive an IR signalfrom the IR emitter 203 intended to control the operation of an HVACappliance 230. When the IR sensor receives the IR signal from the IRemitter 203, the smart module 100 decodes the IR signal to determinewhat operation instruction(s) the IR remote control 200 was sending toan HVAC appliance 230. The IR signal is typically in the form of codedpulses of infrared light at particular frequencies, which pulses andfrequencies differ between manufacturers. The codes and frequencies andthe operations the control can be either looked up or decoded using anIR sensor and an oscilloscope, and using these or other methods can beprogrammed into the smart module 100.

Upon receipt of the IR signal from the IR emitter, the smart module 100decodes the signal and wirelessly transmits 303 information about the IRsignal to a mobile device (or network-enabled HVAC appliance) for use inthe mobile device's 210 HVAC management application. The smart module100 may also be configured to simultaneously emit a copy of the IRsignal via its own IR emitter 304, either as a direct pass through of,or regeneration of, the original IR signal from the IR emitter 203 ofthe IR remote controller 200.

In all other respects, the system of this embodiment operates similarlyto the system of the embodiment described above in relation to FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary application of asmart HVAC control system for ductless HVAC appliances. Here, ahomeowner 401 wishes to control the downstairs floor 1 410 a andupstairs floor 2 410 b of his home as different zones. Floor 1 410 a isthe downstairs zone containing a first ductless HVAC appliance 230 awith its associated first IR remote control 200 a. Floor 1 410 a is alsowhere the home's wireless router 420 is installed with a wiredconnection to a network 220 a through a cable modem, a digitalsubscriber line (DSL) connection, or a fiber optic connection to thehome. Floor 2 410 b is the upstairs zone containing a second ductlessHVAC appliance 230 b with its associated second IR remote control 200 b.In this example, the homeowner 401 is currently located on floor 2 410 band has his mobile device (in this case a smartphone) at hand. Thehomeowner may use the second IR remote control 200 b to directly set thedesired room temperature setting for the second HVAC appliance 230 b,but cannot directly set the desired room temperature setting for thefirst HVAC appliance 230 a, which is located downstairs. However, thehomeowner can use his mobile device 210 to remotely set the desired roomtemperature setting for the second HVAC appliance 290 b, whether thehomeowner uses the IR remote controllers 200 a,b or the mobile device210 to change the settings of the HVAC appliances, the application onthe mobile device receives wireless communications from smart modules100 integrated into or attached to the IR remote controllers 200 a,b,this keeping track of the status of all monitored HVAC appliances andallowing for centralized management thereof.

Depending on the configuration, the mobile device 210 may establishwireless connections directly with the IR remote controllers 200 a,b, asshown in this diagram, or may establish wireless connections through thehome's wireless router 402 to which the IR remote controllers 200 a,bare connected (not shown in this diagram). In configurations where theHVAC appliances 230 a,b are network-capable (e.g., where a smart HVACcontrol module 100 is installed in, or attached to, the HVAC appliance),the HVAC appliances may be controlled directly by the mobile device 210or other computer through a network connection without having to routethe controls through the IR remote controllers 200 a,b. Further, themobile device and/or smart modules 100 of the IR remote controllers 200a,b may be connected to a cloud-based management system 230 either via awireless connection 220 b such as a cellular data service or via awireless router with a wired connection 220 a to a network such asthrough a cable modem, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, or afiber optic connection to the home. In configurations with cloud-basedmanagement system 230, the HVAC appliances may be controlled remotelyfrom anywhere in the world using any computing device running a webbrowser and connected to the Internet.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Aspects

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary operation of a smartHVAC control system when a conventional IR remote is used to operate anHVAC appliance. At the start of the process 502 the HVAC appliance isready to receive a control signal. When a user operates the conventionalIR remote controller 504, the IR remote controller sends an IR signal506 to the HVAC appliance to change its operation. The smart module ofthe IR remote controller checks to see whether it is connected to anapplication on a mobile device 508. If it is not so connected, the smartmodule saves the changed settings to it memory (either volatile ornon-volatile), and the process returns to the start 502. If the smartmodule is connected to a mobile device, the smart module transmitsinformation about the changed settings to the application of the mobiledevice 512. Depending on the configuration, the mobile device thenchecks to see whether it has a network connection to a cloud-basedmanagement system via a wireless router (typically via WiFi). If it hasa network connection through a router, the mobile device sends thechanged settings to the cloud-based management system for logging 516,and the process returns to the start 502. If the mobile device does nothave a network connection 518, the mobile device checks to see if it hasa connection to the cloud-based management server via a mobile (i.e.,cellular) network. If so, it sends the changed settings to thecloud-based management system for logging 516. If not, the applicationof the mobile device saves the settings to the mobile device's memory510, and the process returns to the start 502.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary operation of a smartHVAC control system when an app on a mobile device is used to operate anHVAC appliance. At the start of the process 602 the HVAC appliance isready to receive a control signal. When a user operates an applicationon a mobile device 604, the mobile device sends a wireless signal (e.g.,via Bluetooth) 606 to the smart module which, in turn, sends an IRsignal to the HVAC appliance to change its operation 608. Theapplication on the mobile device updates its status to reflect thechanges 610. The mobile device then checks to see whether it has anetwork connection to a cloud-based management system via a wirelessrouter (typically via WiFi) 612. If it has a network connection througha router, the mobile device sends the changed settings to thecloud-based management system for logging 614, and the process returnsto the start 602. If the mobile device does not have a networkconnection via a router, the mobile device checks to see if it has aconnection to the cloud-based management server via a mobile (i.e.,cellular) network 616. If so, it sends the changed settings to thecloud-based management system for logging 614. If not, the applicationof the mobile device saves the settings to the mobile device's memory618, and the process returns to the start 602.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot of an application for a mobile device showingmanagement of multiple ductless HVAC appliances through smart HVACcontrol modules. The screenshot 700 shows four HVAC appliances in fourdifferent locations throughout a home, each with its individual settingsshown. Selecting one of the HVAC appliances (e.g., by tapping the screenon the mobile device) opens up a screen allowing for changing of thesettings of that HVAC appliance using the methods described herein. Inthis way, the mobile device (or a corresponding cloud-based managementapplication) acts as a central management device for all connected HVACappliances.

FIG. 8 is a set of screenshots of an application for a mobile deviceshowing scheduling of operation of ductless HVAC appliances throughsmart HVAC control modules. The first screenshot 810 shows a schedulinginterface for a connected HVAC appliance allowing for setting of days ofthe week, times of the day, states, modes, temperatures, fan speeds, andcertain automated management functions with pre-defined oruser-definable operations such as a “comfy state,” and “comfy trigger,”as will be described below. The second screenshot 820 shows a series ofscheduling states that have been programmed using the interface, amorning schedule having a first group of settings, an office (daytime)schedule having a second group of settings, and a night schedule havinga third group of settings.

Upon setting of the schedule via the application, the mobile devicetransmits the schedule information to the smart HVAC control module 100,which stores the information in its memory or non-volatile storage, andoperates the HVAC appliance according to the schedule by sending signalsto the standard IR remote controller or operating its own IR emitter bythe means described above. For example, if the schedule stored by anattachable smart module 100 contains instructions to turn on the HVACappliance at 1 pm with a temperature range of 20° C. to 25° C., theattachable smart module 100 will monitor the room temperature using aninternal temperature sensor, and emit coded IR signals using its IRemitter to the HVAC appliance at appropriate times to turn the HVACappliance on and off (or changes modes) to ensure that the roomtemperature remains within the range. For integrated smart modules 100,the process is the same, except that the smart module sends instructionsvia its output port to an electronic component of the standard IR remotecontroller, instructing the standard IR remote controller to operate theHVAC appliance at appropriate times to turn the HVAC appliance on andoff (or changes modes) to ensure that the room temperature remainswithin the range.

FIG. 9 is a set of screenshots of an application for a mobile deviceshowing automated management of ductless HVAC appliances through smartHVAC control modules. The first screenshot 910 shows an exemplary “comfymode” setting which automated HVAC management according to certainuser-defined preferences and pre-defined programming. The secondscreenshot 920 shows exemplary user-defined preferences that may beselected for the exemplary “comfy mode” which, when set, will cause theapplication to automatically manage one or more HVAC appliances througha smart HVAC control module 100 using pre-defined functions and logic.The third screenshot 930 shows selectable times of day at which theexemplary “comfy mode” can be toggled on or off, simplifying managementof one or more HVAC appliances.

Upon setting of the automated management configurations via theapplication, the mobile device transmits the automated managementconfigurations to the smart HVAC control module 100, which stores theinformation in its memory or non-volatile storage, and operates the HVACappliance according to the schedule by sending signals to the standardIR remote controller or operating its own IR emitter by the meansdescribed above. For example, if the schedule stored by an attachablesmart module 100 contains instructions to turn on the HVAC appliance at1 pm with a temperature range of 20° C. to 25° C., the attachable smartmodule 100 will monitor the room temperature using an internaltemperature sensor, and emit coded IR signals using its IR emitter tothe HVAC appliance at appropriate times to turn the HVAC appliance onand off (or changes modes) to ensure that the room temperature remainswithin the range. For integrated smart modules 100, the process is thesame, except that the smart module sends instructions via its outputport to an electronic component of the standard IR remote controller,instructing the standard IR remote controller to operate the HVACappliance at appropriate times to turn the HVAC appliance on and off (orchanges modes) to ensure that the room temperature remains within therange.

Hardware Architecture

Generally, the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented onhardware or a combination of software and hardware. For example, theymay be implemented in an operating system kernel, in a separate userprocess, in a library package bound into network applications, on aspecially constructed machine, on an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), or on a network interface card.

Software/hardware hybrid implementations of at least some of the aspectsdisclosed herein may be implemented on a programmable network-residentmachine (which should be understood to include intermittently connectednetwork-aware machines) selectively activated or reconfigured by acomputer program stored in memory. Such network devices may havemultiple network interfaces that may be configured or designed toutilize different types of network communication protocols. A generalarchitecture for some of these machines may be described herein in orderto illustrate one or more exemplary means by which a given unit offunctionality may be implemented. According to specific aspects, atleast some of the features or functionalities of the various aspectsdisclosed herein may be implemented on one or more general-purposecomputers associated with one or more networks, such as for example anend-user computer system, a client computer, a network server or otherserver system, a mobile computing device (e.g., tablet computing device,mobile phone, smartphone, laptop, or other appropriate computingdevice), a consumer electronic device, a music player, or any othersuitable electronic device, router, switch, or other suitable device, orany combination thereof. In at least some aspects, at least some of thefeatures or functionalities of the various aspects disclosed herein maybe implemented in one or more virtualized computing environments (e.g.,network computing clouds, virtual machines hosted on one or morephysical computing machines, or other appropriate virtual environments).

Referring now to FIG. 10 , there is shown a block diagram depicting anexemplary computing device 10 suitable for implementing at least aportion of the features or functionalities disclosed herein. Computingdevice 10 may be, for example, any one of the computing machines listedin the previous paragraph, or indeed any other electronic device capableof executing software- or hardware-based instructions according to oneor more programs stored in memory. Computing device 10 may be configuredto communicate with a plurality of other computing devices, such asclients or servers, over communications networks such as a wide areanetwork a metropolitan area network, a local area network, a wirelessnetwork, the Internet, or any other network, using known protocols forsuch communication, whether wireless or wired.

In one aspect, computing device 10 includes one or more centralprocessing units (CPU) 12, one or more interfaces 15, and one or morebusses 14 (such as a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus). Whenacting under the control of appropriate software or firmware, CPU 12 maybe responsible for implementing specific functions associated with thefunctions of a specifically configured computing device or machine. Forexample, in at least one aspect, a computing device 10 may be configuredor designed to function as a server system utilizing CPU 12, localmemory 11 and/or remote memory 16, and interface(s) 15. In at least oneaspect, CPU 12 may be caused to perform one or more of the differenttypes of functions and/or operations under the control of softwaremodules or components, which for example, may include an operatingsystem and any appropriate applications software, drivers, and the like.

CPU 12 may include one or more processors 13 such as, for example, aprocessor from one of the Intel, ARM, Qualcomm, and AMD families ofmicroprocessors. In some aspects, processors 13 may include speciallydesigned hardware such as application-specific integrated circuits(ASICs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories(EEPROMs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and so forth, forcontrolling operations of computing device 10. In a particular aspect, alocal memory 11 (such as non-volatile random access memory (RAM) and/orread-only memory (ROM), including for example one or more levels ofcached memory) may also form part of CPU 12. However, there are manydifferent ways in which memory may be coupled to system 10. Memory 11may be used for a variety of purposes such as, for example, cachingand/or storing data, programming instructions, and the like. It shouldbe further appreciated that CPU 12 may be one of a variety ofsystem-on-a-chip (SOC) type hardware that may include additionalhardware such as memory or graphics processing chips, such as a QUALCOMMSNAPDRAGON™ or SAMSUNG EXYNOS™ CPU as are becoming increasingly commonin the art, such as for use in mobile devices or integrated devices.

As used herein, the term “processor” is not limited merely to thoseintegrated circuits referred to in the art as a processor, a mobileprocessor, or a microprocessor, but broadly refers to a microcontroller,a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, anapplication-specific integrated circuit, and any other programmablecircuit.

In one aspect, interfaces 15 are provided as network interface cards(NICs). Generally, NICs control the sending and receiving of datapackets over a computer network; other types of interfaces 15 may forexample support other peripherals used with computing device 10. Amongthe interfaces that may be provided are Ethernet interfaces, frame relayinterfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces,graphics interfaces, and the like. In addition, various types ofinterfaces may be provided such as, for example, universal serial bus(USB), Serial, Ethernet, FIREWIRE™, THUNDERBOLT™, PCI, parallel, radiofrequency (RF), BLUETOOTH™, near-field communications (e.g. usingnear-field magnetics), 802.11 (WiFi), frame relay, TCP/IP, ISDN, fastEthernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, Serial ATA (SATA) orexternal SATA (ESATA) interfaces, high-definition multimedia interface(HDMI), digital visual interface (DVI), analog or digital audiointerfaces, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interfaces, high-speedserial interface (HSSI) interfaces, Point of Sale (POS) interfaces,fiber data distributed interfaces (FDDIs), and the like. Generally, suchinterfaces 15 may include physical ports appropriate for communicationwith appropriate media. In some cases, they may also include anindependent processor (such as a dedicated audio or video processor, asis common in the art for high-fidelity A/V hardware interfaces) and, insome instances, volatile and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., RAM).

Although the system shown in FIG. 10 illustrates one specificarchitecture for a computing device 10 for implementing one or more ofthe aspects described herein, it is by no means the only devicearchitecture on which at least a portion of the features and techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented. For example, architectures havingone or any number of processors 13 may be used, and such processors 13may be present in a single device or distributed among any number ofdevices. In one aspect, a single processor 13 handles communications aswell as routing computations, while in other aspects a separatededicated communications processor may be provided. In various aspects,different types of features or functionalities may be implemented in asystem according to the aspect that includes a client device (such as atablet device or smartphone running client software) and server systems(such as a server system described in more detail below).

Regardless of network device configuration, the system of an aspect mayemploy one or more memories or memory modules (such as, for example,remote memory block 16 and local memory 11) configured to store data,program instructions for the general-purpose network operations, orother information relating to the functionality of the aspects describedherein (or any combinations of the above). Program instructions maycontrol execution of or comprise an operating system and/or one or moreapplications, for example. Memory 16 or memories 11, 16 may also beconfigured to store data structures, configuration data, encryptiondata, historical system operations information, or any other specific orgeneric non-program information described herein.

Because such information and program instructions may be employed toimplement one or more systems or methods described herein, at least somenetwork device aspects may include nontransitory machine-readablestorage media, which, for example, may be configured or designed tostore program instructions, state information, and the like forperforming various operations described herein. Examples of suchnontransitory machine-readable storage media include, but are notlimited to, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, andmagnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical mediasuch as optical disks, and hardware devices that are speciallyconfigured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-onlymemory devices (ROM), flash memory (as is common in mobile devices andintegrated systems), solid state drives (SSD) and “hybrid SSD” storagedrives that may combine physical components of solid state and hard diskdrives in a single hardware device (as are becoming increasingly commonin the art with regard to personal computers), memristor memory, randomaccess memory (RAM), and the like. It should be appreciated that suchstorage means may be integral and non-removable (such as RAM hardwaremodules that may be soldered onto a motherboard or otherwise integratedinto an electronic device), or they may be removable such as swappableflash memory modules (such as “thumb drives” or other removable mediadesigned for rapidly exchanging physical storage devices),“hot-swappable” hard disk drives or solid state drives, removableoptical storage discs, or other such removable media, and that suchintegral and removable storage media may be utilized interchangeably.Examples of program instructions include both object code, such as maybe produced by a compiler, machine code, such as may be produced by anassembler or a linker, byte code, such as may be generated by forexample a JAVA™ compiler and may be executed using a Java virtualmachine or equivalent, or files containing higher level code that may beexecuted by the computer using an interpreter (for example, scriptswritten in Python, Perl, Ruby, Groovy, or any other scripting language).

In some aspects, systems may be implemented on a standalone computingsystem. Referring now to FIG. 11 , there is shown a block diagramdepicting a typical exemplary architecture of one or more aspects orcomponents thereof on a standalone computing system. Computing device 20includes processors 21 that may run software that carry out one or morefunctions or applications of aspects, such as for example a clientapplication 24. Processors 21 may carry out computing instructions undercontrol of an operating system 22 such as, for example, a version ofMICROSOFT WINDOWS™ operating system, APPLE macOSm™ or iOS™ operatingsystems, some variety of the Linux operating system, ANDROID™ operatingsystem, or the like. In many cases, one or more shared services 23 maybe operable in system 20, and may be useful for providing commonservices to client applications 24. Services 23 may for example beWINDOWS™ services, user-space common services in a Linux environment, orany other type of common service architecture used with operating system21. Input devices 28 may be of any type suitable for receiving userinput, including for example a keyboard, touchscreen, microphone (forexample, for voice input), mouse, touchpad, trackball, or anycombination thereof. Output devices 27 may be of any type suitable forproviding output to one or more users, whether remote or local to system20, and may include for example one or more screens for visual output,speakers, printers, or any combination thereof. Memory 25 may berandom-access memory having any structure and architecture known in theart, for use by processors 21, for example to run software. Storagedevices 26 may be any magnetic, optical, mechanical, memristor, orelectrical storage device for storage of data in digital form (such asthose described above, referring to FIG. 10 ). Examples of storagedevices 26 include flash memory, magnetic hard drive, CD-ROM, and/or thelike.

In some aspects, systems may be implemented on a distributed computingnetwork, such as one having any number of clients and/or servers.Referring now to FIG. 12 , there is shown a block diagram depicting anexemplary architecture 30 for implementing at least a portion of asystem according to one aspect on a distributed computing network.According to the aspect, any number of clients 33 may be provided. Eachclient 33 may run software for implementing client-side portions of asystem; clients may comprise a system 20 such as that illustrated inFIG. 11 . In addition, any number of servers 32 may be provided forhandling requests received from one or more clients 33. Clients 33 andservers 32 may communicate with one another via one or more electronicnetworks 31, which may be in various aspects any of the Internet, a widearea network, a mobile telephony network (such as CDMA or GSM cellularnetworks), a wireless network (such as WiFi, WiMAX, LTE, and so forth),or a local area network (or indeed any network topology known in theart; the aspect does not prefer any one network topology over anyother). Networks 31 may be implemented using any known networkprotocols, including for example wired and/or wireless protocols.

In addition, in some aspects, servers 32 may call external services 37when needed to obtain additional information, or to refer to additionaldata concerning a particular call. Communications with external services37 may take place, for example, via one or more networks 31. In variousaspects, external services 37 may comprise web-enabled services orfunctionality related to or installed on the hardware device itself. Forexample, in one aspect where client applications 24 are implemented on asmartphone or other electronic device, client applications 24 may obtaininformation stored in a server system 32 in the cloud or on an externalservice 37 deployed on one or more of a particular enterprise's oruser's premises. In addition to local storage on servers 32, remotestorage 38 may be accessible through the network(s) 31.

In some aspects, clients 33 or servers 32 (or both) may make use of oneor more specialized services or appliances that may be deployed locallyor remotely across one or more networks 31. For example, one or moredatabases 34 in either local or remote storage 38 may be used orreferred to by one or more aspects. It should be understood by onehaving ordinary skill in the art that databases in storage 34 may bearranged in a wide variety of architectures and using a wide variety ofdata access and manipulation means. For example, in various aspects oneor more databases in storage 34 may comprise a relational databasesystem using a structured query language (SQL), while others maycomprise an alternative data storage technology such as those referredto in the art as “NoSQL” (for example, HADOOP CASSANDRA™, GOOGLEBIGTABLE™, and so forth). In some aspects, variant databasearchitectures such as column-oriented databases, in-memory databases,clustered databases, distributed databases, or even flat file datarepositories may be used according to the aspect. It will be appreciatedby one having ordinary skill in the art that any combination of known orfuture database technologies may be used as appropriate, unless aspecific database technology or a specific arrangement of components isspecified for a particular aspect described herein. Moreover, it shouldbe appreciated that the term “database” as used herein may refer to aphysical database machine, a cluster of machines acting as a singledatabase system, or a logical database within an overall databasemanagement system. Unless a specific meaning is specified for a givenuse of the term “database”, it should be construed to mean any of thesesenses of the word, all of which are understood as a plain meaning ofthe term “database” by those having ordinary skill in the art.

Similarly, some aspects may make use of one or more security systems 36and configuration systems 35. Security and configuration management arecommon information technology (IT) and web functions, and some amount ofeach are generally associated with any IT or web systems. It should beunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art that anyconfiguration or security subsystems known in the art now or in thefuture may be used in conjunction with aspects without limitation,unless a specific security 36 or configuration system 35 or approach isspecifically required by the description of any specific aspect.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary overview of a computer system 40 as may beused in any of the various locations throughout the system. It isexemplary of any computer that may execute code to process data. Variousmodifications and changes may be made to computer system 40 withoutdeparting from the broader scope of the system and method disclosedherein. Central processor unit (CPU) 41 is connected to bus 42, to whichbus is also connected memory 43, nonvolatile memory 44, display 47,input/output (I/O) unit 48, and network interface card (NIC) 53. I/Ounit 48 may, typically, be connected to peripherals such as a keyboard49, pointing device 50, hard disk 52, real-time clock 51, a camera 57,and other peripheral devices. NIC 53 connects to network 54, which maybe the Internet or a local network, which local network may or may nothave connections to the Internet. The system may be connected to othercomputing devices through the network via a router 55, wireless localarea network 56, or any other network connection. Also shown as part ofsystem 40 is power supply unit 45 connected, in this example, to a mainalternating current (AC) supply 46. Not shown are batteries that couldbe present, and many other devices and modifications that are well knownbut are not applicable to the specific novel functions of the currentsystem and method disclosed herein. It should be appreciated that someor all components illustrated may be combined, such as in variousintegrated applications, for example Qualcomm or Samsungsystem-on-a-chip (SOC) devices, or whenever it may be appropriate tocombine multiple capabilities or functions into a single hardware device(for instance, in mobile devices such as smartphones, video gameconsoles, in-vehicle computer systems such as navigation or multimediasystems in automobiles, or other integrated hardware devices).

In various aspects, functionality for implementing systems or methods ofvarious aspects may be distributed among any number of client and/orserver components. For example, various software modules may beimplemented for performing various functions in connection with thesystem of any particular aspect, and such modules may be variouslyimplemented to run on server and/or client components.

The skilled person will be aware of a range of possible modifications ofthe various aspects described above. Accordingly, the present inventionis defined by the claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A smart heating, air conditioning, andventilation (HVAC) control system for coordinating control of groups ofductless HVAC appliances, comprising: a mobile phone executing anapplication configured as a centralized management application for aplurality of ductless HVAC devices: a plurality of attachable smartcontrol modules, each smart control module attached to one of aplurality of conventional infrared remote controllers each configured tocontrol a particular ductless HVAC appliance, and each smart controlmodule comprising a memory, a processor, a wireless communicationdevice, an exterior case, a means of attachment for attaching the caseto an infrared remote controller, a battery, an infrared receiver, afirst infrared emitter, and a first plurality of programminginstructions stored in the memory, wherein, for each smart controlmodule: the smart control module is powered by the battery; the smartcontrol module is configured to be attachable to the conventionalinfrared remote controller for a ductless HVAC appliance using the meansof attachment in such a way that the infrared receiver is capable ofreceiving infrared signals from a second infrared emitter of theinfrared remote controller; the first infrared emitter is configured toemit infrared signals to a location outside of the exterior case; thefirst plurality of programming instructions, when operating on theprocessor, causes the smart control module to: establish a Wi-Ficonnection to the mobile phone using the wireless communication device;when an infrared signal is received at the infrared receiver from thesecond infrared emitter, the infrared signal comprising a first controlsetting for the first ductless HVAC appliance: emit a copy of theinfrared signal from the infrared emitter; and transmit operationalinformation to the mobile phone, the operational information comprisingthe first control setting and a smart control module identifier; whenthe mobile phone transmits the operational information via the Wi-Ficonnection: receive the operational information; convert the firstcontrol setting into a first infrared signal for operation of a firstHVAC appliance; and output the first infrared signal to the output portfor emission by the infrared emitter; wherein when the infrared signalis received at the infrared receiver from the second infrared emitter,the operational information is transmitted to the mobile phone whichtransmits it to a second infrared remote controller of the plurality ofconventional infrared remote controllers to synchronize the operation ofthe first ductless HVAC appliance and a second ductless HVAC applianceassociated with the first and second conventional infrared remotecontrollers.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart control moduleis further configured to: receive a second control setting from themobile phone; and send a change signal based on the second controlsetting to the first infrared emitter, the change signal comprisinginstructions to change a setting of the second ductless HVAC appliancein accordance with the second control setting.
 3. The system of claim 2,wherein the mobile phone further transmits the operational informationto a wireless router, and the second control setting is transmitted tothe wireless router from a cloud-based server operating a secondapplication configured to manage the operation of the ductless HVACappliances.
 4. The system of claim 3, further comprising the secondapplication operating on the cloud-based server wherein the applicationcomprises a second plurality of programming instructions which, whenoperating on the cloud-based server, causes the cloud-based server to:receive the operational information; retrieve a list of the ductlessHVAC appliances each of which is controllable by, and associated with,one or more smart control modules, the one or more smart control modulescomprising the smart control module; identify from the list a thirdductless HVAC appliance of the list of the ductless HVAC appliancesassociated with the smart control module; update a status of the thirdductless HVAC appliance to reflect the first control setting; anddisplay the status of the third ductless HVAC appliance on a screen of acomputer connected to the cloud-based server.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein the computer is connected to the cloud-based server via a webbrowser.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second application isfurther configured to: receive an input from a user of the computer, theinput comprising the second control setting for the third ductless HVACappliance; and transmit the second control setting to the wirelesscommunication device of the smart control module via the wirelessrouter.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a temperature orhumidity sensor, wherein: the second control setting comprises atemperature, range of temperatures, humidity, or range of humidities;and the smart control module is further configured to periodically sendadditional infrared signals to the first infrared emitter to maintainthe temperature or humidity sensor at or within the second controlsetting.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second control settingcomprises schedule information, and wherein the smart control module isfurther configured to periodically send additional infrared signals tothe output port to operate the first, second, and third ductless HVACappliances according to the schedule information.
 9. The system of claim1, further comprising the application operating on the mobile devicewherein the application comprises a second plurality of programminginstructions which, when operating on the mobile phone, causes themobile phone to: receive the operational information; retrieve a list ofthe ductless HVAC appliances and identifiers of smart control moduleswith which ductless HVAC appliances are associated; identify from thelist a third ductless HVAC appliance associated with the smart controlmodule identifier; update a status of the third ductless HVAC applianceto reflect the first control setting; and display the status of thethird ductless HVAC appliance on a screen of the mobile device.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the application is further configured to:receive an input from a user of the mobile device, the input comprisinga second control setting for the third ductless HVAC appliance; andtransmit the second control setting to the wireless communication deviceof the smart control module.
 11. The system of claim 10, furthercomprising a temperature or humidity sensor, wherein: the second controlsetting comprises a temperature, range of temperatures, humidity, orrange of humidities; and the smart control module is further configuredto periodically send additional infrared signals to the first infraredemitter to maintain the temperature or humidity sensor at or within thesecond control setting.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondcontrol setting comprises schedule information, and wherein the smartcontrol module is further configured to periodically send additionalchange signals to the first infrared emitter to operate the first,second, and third ductless HVAC appliances according to the scheduleinformation.